YA Love Triangle Week: Team Xander vs Team Ky

Team Xander vs. Team Ky

from

_________________________________________

Team Xander

Team Xander is represented by Elena of Elena's Book Cafe who is now taking over this portion of the post.

I am team Xander, or team best friend. When Cassia was matched with Xander a spark was set off. They both were extremely happy to know that the person they’ve known forever was to be their match. Xander is a blonde-haired, blue eyed boy. He loves Cassia for who she is and he wouldn’t change anything. He respects her and stands up for her. Little does he know it, Cassia goes behind his back and hangs out with Ky. She grows to love Ky and when Xander finds out, he is heartbroken. He loved her so much. Imagine if the boy/girl that you love goes behind your back and starts a relationship with someone else. How would you feel? Rejected, heartbroken, and utterly stunned. That is how Xander felt. If Cassia chose Xander and never fell in love with Ky, they could have a great relationship and grow old together. They would raise a family and talk about the day they were matched together. True love!

This song reminds me of Cassia and Xander after they got matched (before Ky). It is Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.

This is the same song, but the Glee version sung by Chord Overstreet (who I think would be a great Xander!) and Dianna Agron. I personally like this version better.

Couldn't you see Cassia and Xander singing this with each other? It's so cute!

Along comes Ky and their sweet little love story is ruined. This song by Lifehouse reminds me of Cassia and Xander after Xander finds out about Ky. It is called "It Is What It Is".

"You look beautiful" - Xander

Imagine Xander. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and the cutest smile.

Some actors that I think could portray Xander are:

Chord Overstreet

Sterling Knight

Chuck Hittinger

This is why I think you should be team Xander.

Elena

_________________________________________

Team Ky

Team Ky is represented by Alison of Lost In Believing who is now taking over this portion of the post.

Two words: Ky. Markham.

Yeah. He’s really that important.

Let me start off by giving you a song that reminds me of Ky when I listen to it.

Ky is all about poems and art. He’s super creative, so I hope that gave you a first good impression of my post! But let me get to my point.

For those who have no idea who I am talking about, let me explain. Ky is one of the fabulous boys from Ally Condie’s Matched. He’s the guy that is suddenly important in Cassia’s [the protagonist] life. There is way more to the story, but you’re just going to have to read Matched to find out!

But before you get your hands on it, let me tell you about Ky…

With those traits (and more), how can you not at least be somewhat interested in this guy?! Throughout the novel, Ky displays those traits more than once. It's not even just toward Cassia! He's also friends with Xander and they help each other on a few occasions. Ky also helps protect Em, Cassia's girl best friend, even though they are not that close. You know the whole boy next door thing?Yeah, he is exactly that kind of guy.

He's also really quiet. Not that he's shy or afraid of talking, but because he's taking in the world around him. Ky is the type of person that learns by watching things. And because he watched, he learned how to fit in with everyone else. Ky is able to blend in when needed, and stand out from others in a moment's notice. The way he moves himself is a combination of restraint, honesty and secrecy. He's open just enough to make people want to know more, but stays mysterious enough to have people dig deeper to find the true him.

Cassia also sees Ky cry. Most guys would never let anyone else, let alone a girl that they liked, see them cry. It's considered weak and whatever else guys say about crying. But a lot of us disagree.Guys are true men if they cry. Because if they can, it shows that they are not afraid of expressing their feelings. In a world where everything is so closely monitored, people hold back their feelings to keep from being noticed. Ky isn't that worried of having others see that his feelings are important. Seeing him cry just makes him even better. Sensitive guys are a lot more attractive than you may think.

Now let's get to what Ky looks like:

Just reading that description makes me swoon! I don't know about you, but I'm picturing a pretty nice guy in my head right now... Maybe a few guys like this?

Christian Cooke

Zac Efron

Logan Lerman

Drew Roy

 

Man. These guys are pretty handsome ! Not all of them have blue eyes, but his eyes sometimes reflect the environment around him. So they could look brown or green, but they are really blue. How cool is that?! To know your eyes are a certain color, but they appear to be different based on your surroundings! Awesome!

Ky's voice is described as "soft and deep like water falling in the distance." It's also "has music." Picture a really attractive 17-year-old that has a super sweet personality with a voice that is rhythmic and melodious. Yeah. Talk about the guy from your dreams! Looks aren't everything, but it's a plus!

He also says the sweetest things.
(Page 273)

Ky: "Do you think anyone believes in them anymore?"

Cassia:  "I don't know. No. do you?"

Ky: "I believe in you. That's more faith than I ever though I'd have."

*Squeals* Aweee! How cute is that?! If I had a boyfriend that said those kind of things, I would just melt.

There's one more thing that just makes him even more perfect-the fact that he isn't perfect at all. He breaks the rules and thinks outside of the box. He's torn apart on the inside and gets in trouble. Life isn't perfect. And if someone is perfect, they aren't real. Ky isn't perfect, which makes him pretty close to perfect. Highlighting his great features is one thing, but it's imperfections that complete a person.

Soooo...Did I convince you enough to make Ky your pick?! You're the one who decides for yourself...But can I just say that if you don't choose him, it means more for me? Haha, but I'm all for sharing ;)

Alison

______________________________

So there you have it! Please vote who you would choose based on these two arguments and stick around for more guest posts and the final round of voting!

TEAser Tuesdays (12): Linger by Maggie Shiefvater

TEAser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

"I was fifteen again, sitting in my room in Beck's house, arms wrapped around my legs, hiding from the wolf inside me. Winter had already stolen Beck the week before, and Ulrik would be gone soon as well."

-Pg 180 of "Linger" by Maggie Stiefvater

What are you reading?

YA Love Triangle Week: Team David vs. Team Zane

Team David vs. Team Zane

from

__________________________________________

Team David

Team David is represented by Danya of A Tapestry of Words who is now taking over this portion of the post.

Currently unavailable for photos. Off saving the world.

"SWM, mid-teens, born and raised in the Smoke. About 5'10" with an athletic build. In my spare time I enjoy both planting and cutting down trees, and saving people from the city's clutches. Looking for a spunky girl to share some adventures with as we subvert the plans of Dr. Cable and her minions. Must hate Special Circumstances."

All right, so there are no personal ads in Uglies...but I think David's might sound something like that! I liked him from the beginning and even when Zane popped up on the scene in Pretties (actually, *especially* when he was introduced) I was rooting for David all the way.


Now, for the reasons why...

He has outdoorsy skills. 

“This was David, who taught her how to make a fire, how to clean and cook fish, how to navigate by the stars.” 


He fights the system. 

“But even if we blow it tonight, and both wind up under the knife, at least someone will still keep fighting. Making trouble, you know?”


“I hope it’s us, making trouble,” Tally said.


“Me too.” 


He's loyal.

"Tally, I’m just saying: I’ll be here when you’re done.”


“You?” She shook her head.


“You’re not alone, Tally. Don’t pretend you are.”


He's honest. 

“You really think I’m beautiful?”


“Yes.”


“More beautiful than Shay?” 

They both stood silent, their mouths gaping. The question had popped out of Tally before she could think. How had she uttered something so horrible?


“I’m sorry.”


David shrugged, turned away. “It’s a fair question. Yes, I do.”


“Do what?”


“I think you’re more beautiful than Shay.” He said it so matter-of-factly, as if talking about the weather.


He sees beyond the face.

“What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.”

And okay, so Zane might be a good-looking, charismatic guy who likes adrenaline rushes...but at the end of the day, when you want the one you can really count on? David, hands-down.
 

_____________________________

Team Zane

Team Zane is represented by Caitlin from Scarrlet Reader who is now officially taking over this post.

Zane
When I first started The Uglies series I had an immediate connection with Tally and her adventure. I loved reading about this strange world of Uglies and Pretties and Specials. Though, one of the things I didn’t really connect with was David. From the very beginning when Shay first mentioned him, I thought of him as suspicious. Even if he turned out to be someone that helped people escape into the Rusties, he was never one of my favorite characters. It wasn’t until I read the second book in the series, Pretties, that I knew I found a character I would like to be with Tally or just in general!

I have found that a lot of people find this a hard question to answer: David or Zane? I really see only one option though. Zane was the rock that held Tally to the ground. Without his support she would have never made it to where she did. One of the first things that immediately attracted me to Zane was the fact that he knew there was something wrong with pretties’ brains and he fought against it! I really never considered that until he showed up with his coffee and determination. He put in motion Tally’s rebellion. It was Zane who convinced Tally to take the pill that was suppose to cure her, and he understood that the real Tally was still inside her just trapped behind a stupid pretties’ mind.


“’I wasn’t waiting for this,’ Tally cried. ‘I don’t want anything but to be a Crim!’


He pointed to the letter. ‘Yes, you did.”


‘That wasn’t me. She said so herself.’


‘But you-‘


‘Maybe I changed my mind!’


‘You didn’t change your mind. The operation did.’” (Zane & Tally pg.93 Pretties)

Then, there is the fact that Zane willingly took the risk of taking one of the two pills with Tally without knowing what would come of it. He saw that she needed him in that time and helped her. After that he was nothing but support for her. During this time Tally was going through a lot and it was Zane that kept her sanity in check. I highly doubt she would have been able to go through taking the pills by herself. Another thing is Zane did the best he could to help tally get back to the New Smokies. And the fact that he didn’t know a lot about them and trusted Tally was really important. By the end of Pretties you can tell that Tally is in love with Zane. She chooses him over David already and I didn’t even see him as coming back into the picture again. Some may argue that her brain was all messed up while falling for Zane but in the words of Tally:

“’It’s not the way Zane looks, David,’ she said, her voice trembling with anger. ‘It’s because he makes me bubbly, and because we took a lot of risk together. It could just as easily be me lying here, and he would stay with me if it was.’” (Tally pg. 356 Pretties)

If I haven’t already convinced you I have yet to bring up the point that David so easily gave into thinking that Tally would choose Zane because of his looks. If he really loved Tally and would have had more faith in her that she wasn’t that shallow and accepted that things change, maybe even for the better. But then we go into the finally installment of the series Specials. It is in this book that we see thetrue love that Zane feels for Tally and vice versa. Zane knew that there was something wrong with him and he knew that he had brain damage and that it was kind of Tally’s fault. But did he ever show any sign of resentment towards her? None. If anything he was just even more determined to show Tally that she could overcome the mind tricks that had been placed in her head, that she was strong enough to get through it.

“’You can rewire yourself again, Tally,’ he said. ‘The fact that they made you into a Special means you can change.’”(Zane pg.142 Specials)

Zane was there for her until the last moment he was able to. He fought for her, sacrificed so much, that it hurts to think about his outcome in the end. He pushed Tally to do what was needed to be done and kept her sane through it all. And where was David through all her struggles? Well, not there to help her. So if the question ever comes up: David or Zane? I think I’ve made it clear who should be chosen.

“Zane lay back and closed his eyes, and was silent so long that Tally thought he had fallen asleep again. But then he said softly, ’You and David could both be right. Maybe humans are programmed… to help one another, even to fall in love. But just because it’s human nature doesn’t make it bad, Tally. Besides, we had a whole city of pretties to choose from, and we chose each other.’”(Zane pg 358-359 Pretties)

______________________________

So there you have it! Please vote who you would choose based on these two arguments and stick around for more guest posts and the final round of voting!

YA Love Triangle Week Introduction

It's finally here!

Introduction:

After a bunch of planning and voting and changing things around, the week has finally come! 20 amazing guest posters have argued their cases for their favorite guy and now it's time for everyone to find out why! I'm excited to be sharing this with everyone else. I thought I'd do my part in all this and tell a little origin story.

The Origin:

It all started with this little book called Nightshade. Have you heard of it? In most books, I can usually pick a side but this book turned my world upside down. The triangle was so balanced and the boys were so yummy, there was NO WAY for me to figure out who I loved on my own. So I thought to myself, "I wonder how everyone else choose?" and then decided to find out. I think love triangles are such a fun and fascinating part of the YA genre and I'm so happy to be devoting an entire week to them and pulling people from all around the blogger community together for a common cause. So let the good times roll!

The Schedule:

Monday (Nov. 1st)-

-An Introduction (this!) @ 8:00 am EST

-Team David vs. Team Zane from The Uglies @ 12:01 pm EST

Tuesday (Nov. 2nd)-

-Team Xander vs. Team Ky from Matched @ 12:01 pm EST

-Team Gale vs Team Peeta from The Hunger Games @ 2:00 pm EST

Wednesday (Nov. 3rd)-

-Team Puck vs. Team Ash from The Iron Fey series @ 12:01 pm EST

-The Iron King Giveaway! @ 2:01 pm EST

Thursday (Nov. 4th)-

-Team Ren vs. Team Shay from Nightshade @ 12:01 pm EST

-Interview with Andrea Cremer @ 2:01 pm EST

Friday (Nov. 5th)-

-Team Edward vs. Team Jacob from Twilight @ 12:01 pm EST

-Team Dimitri vs. Team Adrian from The Vampire Academy @ 2:01 pm EST

Saturday (Nov. 6th)- 

-Team Jace vs. Team Simon from The Mortal Instruments Series @ 12:01 pm EST

-Interview with Cassandra Clare @ 2:01 pm EST

Sunday (Nov 7th)-

-Team Bill vs. Team Eric from The Sookie Stackhouse Novels @ 12:01 pm EST

-Team Stefan vs. Team Damon from The Vampire Diaries @ 2:01 pm EST

*Final polls will open Sunday @ 5:00 pm EST and will be open until November 14th at 10:00 pm EST*

About The Polls:

• There will be mini polls at the end of each post. Please feel free to use them but they will not count towards the final poll
• Voting in the final poll will make you eligible to win prizes

Voters Prizes:

• TWO lucky winners will be drawn from the final polls to win ONE book mentioned in this series of posts from The Book Depository for under $16.00.

Voting Rules:

• The Teams have decided to be voted on in pairs. That mean in the final polls, they will partnered together. You will be responsible for choosing the ones with the overall best arguments. This means that will be judging on who is the most creative as a PAIR and who gave the best arguments. Please be fair about this and don't just vote for your favorite characters. (I know you all will be) Everyone worked really hard and deserves to be judged on their efforts, not who they chose to represent. The winning pair will also receive a book of their choice!
• You can gain extra entries by commenting on each guest post and interviews. If we are adding them up, that's 13 EXTRA points you can gain by leaving thoughtful comments for the guest posters!
• Have fun and let the hot guys, err I mean, games begin!